Generally a frequency comb generator produces a spectrum that consists of serially spaced sharp lines with known frequencies. There are various types of comb generators such as optical frequency generator, vector signal generator, analog signal generator, function generator and arbitrary waveform generator. A comb generator is a type of signal generator which is a piece of electronic equipment that emits a regular pattern of signals. The pulse train generated by a laser has a frequency spectrum that consists of a discrete, regularly spaced series of sharp lines, known as optical frequency comb. This generator is more complex than other types of signal generators. It operates with microwave frequencies and is extremely sensitive.
In the fields of optical telecommunications, metrology and sensing applications, lasers are used to provide a source for optical signals and processing at various wavelengths. Laser processing methods allow the fabrication of very fine structures with high quality. An optical frequency comb generator, comprising a laser device (pump laser) to generate input laser light having a predetermined input light frequency. Each wavelength is generated from a single laser. Rather than using separate devices to operate at each channel, it is known to produce a single device that is capable of operating across a range of channels. If an array of lasers are used, each laser serves as a source for a single channel which becomes complex in process, and comb sources are bulky and costly and it requires rare materials for non-linear effect generation, and these combs are hard to integrate with other photonic components.
In prior art systems, a wavelength comb generator device comprises a laser source, the output of which is fed through modulators and in series to provide a wavelength comb output. To obtain this output, the modulators are in turn driven by a sinusoidal signal, providing drive signals to the modulators. One of the major limitations with the above technique is that the modulators are bulky and expensive. A number of comb-shaped sidebands are generated by optical frequency comb generator which is arranged at an equal interval on the frequency axis.
Prior art systems also include an optical frequency comb generator (OFCG) based on a fiber ring laser that provides a bandwidth of over 700 GHz with modeless operation and used to evaluate the frequency measurement of test laser. However issues associated with frequency comb generation bandwidth, pitch, spectral purity and spectral equalization are not addressed efficiently. Another major disadvantage is power dissipation and large scale component yield using array of lasers to generate an optical comb. For generating optical frequency combs, existing systems have issues in terms of complex optical setups and cost thereof.
Hence, there exists a need in the art for a method and system comprising an optical comb generator for generating multiple optical wavelengths from a single source simultaneously for multiple optical channels on a semiconductor substrate.